#1035: On The Virtue Of The Night Of Decree (Laylatul Qadr) If It Makes The Day Connected To It More Virtuous Than All Other Days Of Ramadan?

Sallam alaykum warahmatullah Ya Shiek, hope you’re faring well, may ALLAH bless you always, pls if a certain night is confirm to be laylatul qadr which is the greatest night in the whole year and amongst the ten nights, by some distinct sign that relates to that, does that also make it’s day more virtues than other days of Ramadan and all days in a years apart from the Ten days of Dhul-hijjah, jazakumullahu khyran as you shed more light, barakallahu feekum

ANSWER:

Wa Alaikum Salam Wa Rahmatullah Wa Barakatuh.

Alhamdulillah

As regards your question, a juristic principle states, The last part of every virtuous period is more virtues in status than its first.

In line with this principle, Hafizh Ibn Rajab in his latooif al-ma’aarif also said:

And every virtuous period either day time or night time, then the last part of it is better in virtue than its first. Like the day of Arafah, and the day of Jumuah, and likewise the night and day generally, the last part of it is more virtuous than the first part of it.

Applying this principle, we can generally say, that the last days of Ramadan are more virtuous in status than the first days of Ramadan and all other days of the year except the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah. Likewise, the last nights of Ramadan are more virtuous than the first nights of Ramadan except the Night of Decree.

So, the virtue of the night of decree has no connection with the virtue of the specific day that comes after it (i.e the day of that night). Rather it derives its virtue based on the principle we have mentioned above. More so, when the night of decree was mentioned in the Quran, its mention was specified with the night. And majority of the scholars of tafsir restricted this virtue to that night without connecting it with the day of that night as it is clear in the text of the Quran:

“Verily, We have sent it down in the Night of Al-Qadr. And what will make you know what the Night of Al-Qadr is. The Night of Al-Qadr is better than a thousand months. Therein descend the angels and the Ruh by their Lord’s permission with every matter. There is peace until the appearance of dawn. (Suratul Al-Qadr).

Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Hurayrah that:

“When Ramadan would come, the Messenger of Allah would say, Verily, the month of Ramadan has come to you all. It is a blessed month, which Allah has obligated you all to fast. During it the gates of Paradise are opened, the gates of Hell are closed and the devils are shackled. In it there is a night that is better than one thousand months. Whoever is deprived of its good, then he has truly been deprived.

Regarding the statement of Allah:

“Peace it is, until the rising of the dawn.”

Ash-Sha’bi said concerning this:

“The angels giving the greetings of peace during the Night of Al-Qadr to the people in the masjid until the coming of fajr (dawn).”

Qatadah and Ibn Zayd both said:

“This means all of it is good and there is no evil in it until the coming of fajr (dawn).”

And their actions during the last ten nights of Ramadan show that they understood the special virtue of the night of decree was restricted to the night alone.

As regarding observing I’itikaf in the last ten days of Ramadan, it was never mentioned that the prophet enaged in I’itikaf because of the virture of the day connected to this night in question. Rather it was to aid them in seeking the night as it was clearly mentioned in the narration of Abu Sa’id al-Khudri who said:

“The Messenger of Allah performed i’tikaf during the first ten nights of Ramadhan and we performed i’tikaf with him. Then Jibril came to him and said, ‘That which you are seeking is front of you,’ so the Prophet performed i’tikaf during the middle ten days of Ramadhan and we also performed i’tikaf with him.

Then Jibril came to him and said; ‘That which you are seeking is ahead of you,’ so the Prophet stood up and gave a sermon on the morning of the twentieth of Ramadhan and he said:
‘Whoever performed i’tikaf with me, let him come back (for i’tikaf again), for verily I saw the Night of Al-Qadr, and I was caused to forget it, and indeed it is during the last ten (nights). It is during an odd night and I saw myself as if I was prostrating in mud and water.’ (Bukhari and Muslim).

In addition, if you understand the juristic principle we mentioned above, you will also understand that because the last ten days are more virtuous than the previous days of Ramadan, they increased in the acts of worship more than they used to in the previous days of Ramadan.

However, in the case of first days of Dhul-Hijjah, the mention of it was in connection with both the nights and the days and that is why virtue of the day is connected with that of its night.

Ibn Kathir rahmatullah alahi said regarding the tafsir of the surah Al Fajr:

Concerning Al-Fajr, it is well known that it is the morning. This was said by `Ali, Ibn `Abbas, `Ikrimah, Mujahid and As-Suddi. It has been reported from Masruq and Muhammad bin Ka`b that Al-Fajr refers to the day of Sacrifice (An-Nahr) in particular, and it is the last of the ten nights. ‘The ten nights’ refers to the (first) ten days of Dhul-Hijjah. This was said by Ibn `Abbas, Ibn Zubayr, Mujahid and others among the Salaf and the latter generations. It has been confirmed in Sahih Al-Bukhari from Ibn `Abbas that the Prophet said, there are no days in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than these days. Meaning the ten days of Dhul-Hijjah. They said, “Not even fighting Jihad in the way of Allah” He replied, (Not even Jihad in the way of Allah; except for a man who goes out (for Jihad) with his self and his wealth, and he does not return with any of that).

Note that, the revelation of the Quran was in the Night of Decree which occurs in the month of Ramadan because of that, the whole month became virtuous both its night and the day even though the month is not among the sacred months. While in the case of the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah, the ten days are specified with the virtue mentioned in the hadith while the remaining days of the month maintain their virtue of being among the sacred month.

And Allah knows best.

Barakallahu Fikum
Jazakumullahu Khayran.

Abū Hafs

16th Shawwāl, 1441AH.

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